THE 2004 ELECTIONS: STATE BY STATE -- West; Shades of 2000: For the most part, the red states stay red and blue states stay blue.

Published: November 3, 2004

ALASKA

With control of the United States Senate at stake in this year's election, the race in Alaska between the incumbent Republican, Lisa Murkowski, 47, and the Democratic challenger, Tony Knowles, 61, was too close to call with nearly half the votes counted.

Ms. Murkowski, who was appointed to the Senate after her father was elected governor of Alaska in 2002, contended with accusations that she got her job by way of nepotism. Mr. Knowles, governor from 1994 to 2002, emphasized his willingness to break from the national Democratic Party, particularly on issues involving development. For instance, Mr. Knowles, like Ms. Murkowski, supports opening the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve for oil exploration, despite his party's staunch opposition to the proposal.

ARIZONA

President Bush won Arizona's 10 electoral votes, and Senator John McCain, the Republican, easily won a fourth term over Stuart Starky, an eighth-grade math teacher.

Mr. Starky was never given much chance of defeating Mr. McCain.

While expressing personal admiration for Mr. McCain, Mr. Starky said his opponent was more interested in gaining national popularity than in serving Arizonans.

Voters also approved a measure to tighten immigrant controls in a state with a large Hispanic population. It requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, photo identification to vote and proof of eligibility to receive local welfare benefits. Another measure that was approved requires anyone proposing a public initiative to specify a financing source other than the state's general fund.

CALIFORNIA

Senator Barbara Boxer, a Democrat, held onto her seat with a sweeping victory over the Republican candidate, Bill Jones, a former secretary of state. Even in this solidly blue state, the two-term senator is often viewed as being more liberal than most Californians, but according to voter surveys, she did well in all parts of the states. As with her Republican opponents in the past, Ms. Boxer outspent her challenger by millions of dollars.

Voters seemed poised to approve the most controversial ballot measure, which would allow for a $3 billion bond sale over the next decade to create the largest state-financed embryonic stem cell research program in the nation. Sixty percent of voters favored the measure, with 14 percent of the precincts reporting.

COLORADO

Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell's decision to retire gave Democrats a chance to pick up a Republican-held Senate seat, and with most of the vote counted, Ken Salazar, the Democratic state attorney general, was running narrowly ahead of Pete Coors, chairman of the beer company that bears his family name.

Mr. Salazar's popularity helped Senator Kerry run better than expected, though President Bush carried the state by a safe margin.

Only one change was certain in the House delegation, a replacement for Scott McInnis, a six-term Republican, who is retiring. With more than half the votes counted, Greg Walcher, a Republican state official, was narrowly leading Mr. Salazar's brother John, a Democratic state senator.

Voters rejected a measure to change the state Constitution to allocate Colorado's nine electoral votes based on the popular vote, rather than winner-take-all.

HAWAII

In seeking an eighth term, Senator Daniel K. Inouye, a Democrat who turned 80 two months ago, encountered little trouble against Cam Cavasso, a Republican and a former state representative.

Mr. Kerry held a firm lead over Mr. Bush, and polls suggested that Representatives Neil Abercrombie and Ed Case, both Democrats, would be re-elected.

IDAHO

This Republican state sent its incumbent senator and two Republican representatives back to Congress and gave its electoral votes to President Bush. Senator Michael D. Crapo was opposed by Scott McClure, a Democratic write-in candidate.

Nicole LeFavour was poised to become the first openly gay member of Idaho's Legislature. She was leading her Republican opponent by 30 percentage points in partial results.

MONTANA

For the first time in 16 years, a Democrat was elected governor of Montana, as Brian Schweitzer defeated Republican Bob Brown. The two were competing for the office held by Gov. Judy Martz, a Republican, who decided not to seek re-election.

Mr. Schweitzer narrowly lost a bid for the Senate in 2000. In the days before the election, his campaign worried about the impact a large turnout for President Bush would have, because presidential candidates have long coattails in Montana. Not in this case, it turned out.

Mr. Ziser, who was running for political office for the first time, helped campaign for Nevada's constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and had hoped to use that network of voters to rally conservatives.

In the state's House races, Shelley Berkley and Jim Gibbons, the incumbents, coasted to victory. Jon Porter, the other incumbent, led his opponent with 11 percent of the precincts reporting.